The present invention relates to a novel and useful lighting device which is particularly adaptable to outdoor "pedestrian scale" lighting environments.
Outdoor lighting often requires projection of light from a source in various directions and at various intensities. In addition, lighting fixtures used in outdoor lighting situations must possess precision cutoff angles and symmetrical or asymmetrical light distribution characteristics to permit placement of such lighting fixtures along streets, sidewalks, roadways, and the like. It is also important in such outdoor lighting devices to control glare, which is highly undesirable.
In the past, outdoor lighting units have been proposed which use reflectors of varying sizes and configurations to propagate light in a desired manner. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,001,576 and 4,463,410 represent such light altering elements.
Certain lighting fixtures have also employed the use of multiple reflectors spaced from one another about a central source to throw light outwardly at various angles and intensities in outdoor lighting situations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,555 and 4,591,960 represent such lighting fixtures having controlled intensity at various angles from the source. These fixtures tend to be bulky and not susceptible to reduction in size for pedestrian use. Also, such fixtures may produce high angle glare above normal viewing angles that is not acceptable at lower mounting heights.
An outdoor lighting fixture which is compact and precise in light distribution from a source would be a notable advance in the field of illumination.